Alan Dershowitz debates with Peter Beinart on the topic of Beinart's recent book, The Crisis of Zionism.
Alan Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. He has also published more than 100 articles in magazines and journals such as the New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New Republic, The Nation, Commentary, The Harvard Law Review and the Yale Law Journal, and more than 300 of his articles have appeared in syndication in 50 national daily newspapers. He is the author of 27 fiction and non-fiction books, including The Case for Moral Clarity: Israel, Hamas and Gaza. In 1983, the Anti-Defamation League of the B'nai B'rith presented Dershowitz with the William O. Douglas First Amendment Award for his civil and human rights work. Peter Beinart is a senior political writer for the Daily Beast, where he edits the blog "Open Zion," which aims to foster a frank and open conversation about Israel, Palestine, and the Jewish future. A faculty member at CUNY's Graduate Center and Graduate School of Journalism, his latest book is The Crisis of Zionism.
The Graduate Center's Perspectives series with Peter Beinart features dynamic thinkers and practitioners examining the pressing political and public policy issues shaping our world. Previous participants have included Christopher Hitchens, Tina Brown, Andrew Sullivan, and Paul Krugman.

Peter Beinart

Peter Beinart is associate professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York. He is also a contributor to The Atlantic and National Journal, a senior columnist at Haaretz, a CNN Political Commentator, and a senior fellow at The New America Foundation.

Alan Dershowitz

Professor Alan M. Dershowitz is a Brooklyn native and the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law (emeritus) at Harvard Law School. He has published more than 1000 articles in magazines, newspapers, journals and blogs such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Harvard Law Review, the Yale Law Journal, Huffington Post, Newsmax, Jerusalem Post and Ha'aretz. He is the author of 32 fiction and non-fiction works, including six national bestsellers. His latest book is The Case Against the Iran Deal: How Can We Now Stop Iran from Getting Nukes?.

Peter Beinart, former editor of the New Republic, and Alan Dershowitz, famed lawyer and political commentator, debate the consequences of Israel preemptively attacking Iran's nuclear proliferation programs. Citing Israel's attack on Iraq as an example, Dershowitz argues that a strike would set back Iran's nuclear aspirations years. Beinart counters that an attack would galvanize Iran to develop their nuclear program.